Unjustified compensation

[Faye73]

My new Airbnb customer checked in last week for 3 days. She was annoyed from the start. One of the bedroom windows was stuck as it had been newly painted on the outside, so I called for my workman immediately to release it. While he was on his way over she pushed the window with her hand and cracked the glass. There was a tiny nick in her hand but of course the photo looked alot worse what with the spots of blood.

i offered her a plaster but she said she had her own and tried my best to help. 

She wanted a refund there and then, so I transferred all the money directly into her account and she left to find alternative accommodation.

She did not go to A and E nor to any medical person, yet she wants compensation. for 'the injury'

Can somebody advise me what to do ? I am at my wits end !

[Linda108]

@Faye73   I see you have several listing and over 50 reviews, so I imagine you are knowledgeable about liability.  I suggest you contact your insurer and explain the situation.  If the guest makes a  claim, your insurance should handle it for you.  

I am little confused that you state you transfered money to the guest account.  As that is not how this platform works, I wonder if this guest was through another booking platform.

[Faye73]

i regret refunding from my own account. It was stupid, but she was being so very nasty I did it in haste to get her away.

[Helen3]

Oh dear as an experience host @Faye73  - it is surprising that you wouldn't know that any refunds should go through Airbnb, however much you wanted the guest gone.

Personally I would never have chosen to refund this guest.

As you know Airbnb offers liability insurance (see Airbnb Help Centre), contact them about any claim she might want to make and their insurers can deal with it.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Faye73 

You should not have refunded her, and definitely not directly. You should have told her to request a refund from Airbnb as it is they who handle all financial transactions.

Compensation... For what? Will you be claiming against her for window damage ?

Her ranting will come to nothing, for compensation any evidential photographs will be need to be taken in months time when any scarring has settled (if any) so all the blood and gore will not be an issue. Not going to A&E works to your benefit. Don't discuss it, don't entertain her demands for compensation, don't accept any liability.

[Faye73]

Thankyou for your reply. i regret refunding her directly, but I was afraid of bad reviews on airbnb listing. cancellations etc. but I see now she is playing on this. She is wanting the whole booking money back again and making my life a misery !

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Faye73 

"The whole booking money" is the money you already refunded plus the Airbnb commission you probably didn't. The whole amount you receive from Airbnb is not the whole amount the guest paid.

Despite the circumstances, your only refund due to your guest would have been in accordance with your refund policy. If a guest requests a refund there will be required a cancellation - which your guest should initiate - your agreement to a refund (which you should not agree to apart from only which your refund setting allows).

Refunding your guest directly would not avoid any bad review.

In the circumstances, I would be inclined to inform Airbnb about what happened, explaining you were not aware of their involvement with the refund process, that you have already refunded the guest in full and that they may receive a request for refund from your guest. There is a chance you might be penalised by a double refund if Airbnb are not aware of the existing refund.

[Justin271]

@Faye73  Very sorry to hear about the stress and damage caused by your guest. You've got a lovely listing. I think most times as a host you've got to take it on the chin when it comes to a disrespectful guest damaging your property and asking for compensation. If you do not have short term vacation insurance on your property I strongly suggest getting it in the event a guest sues you or gets injured as your regular home owners or landlords insurance won't cover this. 

[Mark116]

@Faye73   Now you will know to never, ever refund anyone out of your own pocket, because she almost surely will get a refund through airbnb as well.  If I were you, assuming there is some messaging on the airbnb system that proves you sent a workman to fix the window and she broke it before the worker arrived...that you should make a claim against her for breaking the window.  I would expect a bad review from her.  Unless she provides evidence she went to hospital or a doctor, I am not sure what compensation she thinks she is owed for her own action in breaking a window that she already knew was stuck and a worker on the way to fix it. 

[Marie82 · Accepted solution]

@Faye73 if I was you, just call ABB and explain the situation, even if u have to wait the whole day to have them over the phone. Giving guest money back immediately, give her a wide door open to ask for more compensation.

Stop all contact with her, and ask her to deal with ABB directly, and please take pictures of all relevant info u listed, the window from inside/outside if any blood around.

You told her someone was on his way to solve the issue and still, she pushed the glass door, so not sure u you feel u still responsible for her injury.

[Faye73]

Thankyou for this reply. Be warned emily Tate is a real con merchant.

i have had an estimate on the broken glass, but the aggro she has caused comes way beyond this amount. i am truly disheartened with Airbnb now.